Sign



H. H. WINEBURGH Dec. 6, 192 7.

SIGN

Filed March 19, 1927 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,651,429 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY HAROLD WINIEBURGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR '10 TEXLITEELECTRIC SIGNCO. INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION, OF TEXAS.

SIGN.

Application filed March 19, 1927. Serial No. 176,648.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminated signs 'fordisplaying advertising matter or other information.

At present there is being used a type I of illuminated sign wherein thecharacters tobe displayed are defined or outlined by meansof electriclamps or tubes containing vapor or gas, such as neon tubes. While thesesigns are attractive, they are expensive and the tubes are liable to bebroken or to get out of order.

-The principal object of this invention is to provide a sign of simple,durable, and inexpensive construction which will simulate the effect andappearance of signs having illuminated characters formed of electric gasor vapor tubes. Y

Other andfurther objects of the invention will appear from thefollowingdescription thereof.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated-fin the accompanyingdrawings, in which v Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of asign embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fi 3is a face view of a portion of the transducent plate of the signand,

Fig. 4 is a broken detailed view of the lat 'p Referring to the drawingsthe sign consists of a casing 1 made of metal or other suitable materialand of any conventional or approved construction and design. The

front or cover 20f the sign is formed with openings 3 which are each cutout in the outline of a character such as a letter of the alphabet, anumeral, or other symbol or figure. Mounted within the casing is asource of light such as an electric lamp 4. I Within the casing, andclosing the openings of the front 2, is a translucent plate 5 made ofany suitable material, preferably colored opal glass. Marked or mountedon the plate 5 are characters 6 of a contrasting color to thatof theplate and preferably formed of a substantially light imperviousmaterial. The characters 6 conform respectively in configuration withthe characters .outlined by the. openings 3 of the casing but aresomewhat smaller in size so that when the, plate is in place in thecasing a uniform border of the plate material, surrounding eachcharacterfi, is-visible through the openings 3. Now when the plate isilluminated bymeans of the electric lamp 4, the characters 6 will beluminously out, lined, thus causing them to stand out prominently (andsimulating the efieot or appearance of characters formed or outlined.with gas or vapor tubes. It is to be understood that instead of havinga single plate 5 for all of the characters of the sign, individualplates for each separate character may be used. I I

The. characters 6 may either be "marked directly on the plate with adark coloring matter, preferably an. opaque black paint, or they maybemade of porcelain or other material and cemented to or mounted on theplate. In the former case I prefer to first etch the characters on theplate, as indicated at 7 in Fig. 4, so as to provide a good bondingsurface for the paint. If desired a surface coat 8 of paint, enamel, orother substance, either white or any bright color, may be applied overthe dark undercoating to give the characters a more attractiveappearance. In Figs. 1, 2 and B of the drawings the characters 6 areshown in black merely to indicate their opacity and without limitationas to color.

While I have shown the invention applied to a single faced sign, it isobvious that it may be used in a double faced sign, and that othermodifications in the details of construction may be made withoutdepartin from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is i 1. An illuminated sign comprising a casing having anopening formed in the outline of a character, a light source within thecasing, a translucent plate backing and closing the opening, and anopaque character on the plate conforming in configuration with thecharacter outlined by the easing opening but of'a smaller size so as toleave visible a luminous border of the plate material surrounding theopaque character.

2. An illuminated sign comprising a casing having an opening formed inthe outline of a character, a light source within the casing, a coloredtranslucent late backing and closing the opening and an opaque 1character on the plate of a color contrasting with that of the plate,said plate character conforming in configuration with the characteroutlined by the casing opening but no being of a smaller size so as toleave visible I a luminous border of the colored plate Inaterialsurrounding the opaque character.

3. An illuminated sign comprising 8. casing having an opening formed inthe outline 5 of a character, a light source Within the casing, acolored translucent late backing and closing the opening, an an opaquecharacter on the plate conforming in configuration with the characteroutlined by the casing opening but of a smaller size so as to leavevisible a luminous border of the colored plate material surrounding theopa 119 character. 7

ENRY HAROLD WINEBURGH.

